


Song Bird

by isabeau25



Series: Wander Home [9]
Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-03 06:10:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1733966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isabeau25/pseuds/isabeau25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nod says his first word. <b> This story is included in <i>Babe in the Woods</i></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Song Bird

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eastofthemoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/gifts), [Lady_Douji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Douji/gifts).



> For [Earthstar](http://archiveofourown.org/users/earthstar/pseuds/earthstar) and [Lady_Douji](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Douji/pseuds/Lady_Douji) who asked me what Nod's first word was, then kept bringing it up until I wrote this. 
> 
> This takes place after [Innocence](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1723748) and before [Cheep-Cheep the Chickadee](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1408627). 
> 
> Little Nod takes questions over at [Babe in the Woods](http://little-nod.tumblr.com).

Orla leaned out of the kitchen door, dish towel in hand, making sure Nod was still where she had left him. Not that she expected him to move. For such a little boy, he could be very stubborn. Ronin had sent her a message along with an apology a few hours ago, saying that he had been called away and would be home quite late.

Nod liked Ronin to come home at the same time every day, and he could get cranky when he didn’t. Orla had tried to explain to him that Ronin would be home late, and for all that the child didn’t talk, he seemed to understand most of the time. He had been alright through dinner, but after dinner he had planted himself on the living room floor staring at the front door and hadn’t moved.

He was still there, chin resting on his hand, staring moodily at the door.

Orla finished with the dinner dishes and went to retrieve a small wooden duck from her bag, hoping the bath toy would entice the boy to come take a bath without too much fuss.

“Nod, do you want to come play with the duck,” she sat on her knees beside the child, offering the toy to him, “we can play with him in the water, just like a real duck.”

And probably get as wet as a duck in the process, but at least Nod would be clean and ready for bed when Ronin got home.

“Ronin.”

Orla dropped the duck in surprise.

“Nod, sweetie, did you just…?” she stared at the boy.

“Ronin,” he repeated insistently, pointing to the door.

Orla’s hand went to her mouth and a laugh escaped her. They had all been worried that Nod was too old to learn how to talk, and while he could be very vocal with bird noises (and the occasional crying and screaming fits), he had never even tried to say words before.

“That’s right,” Orla beamed at him, “Ronin will be home in a few hours.”

“Ronin,” the boy frowned up at her.

“Yes, Ronin,” she laughed again.

Nod looked at her in confusion for a moment, then smiled back, “Ronin.”

“That’s right!” she scooped the boy up, cuddling him in her lap and making him giggle, “Ronin will be home. Can you say your name? Can you say Nod?”

“Ronin,” the boy giggled, apparently liking the way she had responded.

“Ronin,” Orla nodded, pointing to the door, then she tapped the child on the nose, “Nod.”

“Ronin,” Nod kicked his feet happily.

“Ronin it is,” Orla shook her head, laughing softly, “now, how about we go play with the duck in the bath?”

She picked up the toy, offering it to the boy, “duck.”

Nod looked very hard at the toy, as if he were puzzling through the word, then he pointed to the door again, “Ronin.”

“Duck,” Orla repeated, toy still held out to him.

Nod took the toy, hugging it to himself, “Ronin.”

Orla giggled. The general was certainly going to be surprised when he got home.

“How about bath time?” Orla stood, scooping the boy up.

“Ronin!” Nod informed her happily.

Orla smiled and kissed his cheek.

Bath time was its usual wet affair. Nod alternated between quacking like a duck and repeating Ronin’s name in a sing-song voice. He obviously knew what the word meant, but he also seemed to just like saying it.

After his bath, he sat himself back on the floor facing the front door, singing Ronin’s name to himself as he played with the wooden duck. Orla joined him after drying herself and the bathroom off, bringing a picture book with her. She read the book slowly, taking the time to point to every animal pictured and saying the name of it clearly. She could tell Nod was listening closely, but if it wasn’t a bird he could imitate, he would repeat Ronin’s name instead.

It was still one more word than he had been saying yesterday, and Orla was ecstatic.

* * *

Ronin slipped open the front door quietly in the very slim hope that Nod was in bed. It was very, very late, but getting Nod to go to bed without Ronin home was almost impossible. There was a slight chance he was asleep though. Ronin spotted him right away. He was curled on the living room floor with a pillow and blanket, thumb in his mouth. He might be asleep. Maybe. If Ronin was very lucky.

Ronin unlocked the weapons cabinet and started to take off his sword. When it had become apparent Nod was going to be staying with him for a while, he had asked some of his captains who had small children how they made sure sharp weapons stayed away from little fingers. They had all said they had locked cabinets, so Ronin had had one installed. So far he had only lost the key once.

“Ronin.”

Ronin dropped his sword at the little voice.

Nod had appeared with his usual stealth at Ronin’s feet and was looking up at him expectantly.

“Did you just…?” Ronin stared at him.

“Ronin,” Nod repeated, lifting his arms up to be held.

“You talked!” Ronin dropped down to one knee, putting himself on eye level with the child.

“Ronin,” Nod yawned and wrapped his arms around Ronin’s neck, leaning on him sleepily.

“You said my name!” Ronin said excitedly, wrapping his arms around the boy, “Orla did you hear this?”

“All night,” Orla smiled, reaching down to pick up the blanket Nod had left on the floor, “I haven’t been able to get him to say anything else yet though.”

“But he said my name!” Ronin cuddled the boy close.

“Ronin,” Nod snuggled against him, wrapping his legs around the general’s waist as he stood.

“And he certainly knows what it means,” Orla nodded, setting the blanket over the back of a chair.

“Can you say Nod?” Ronin coaxed.

“Ronin,” Nod yawned and rested his head on Ronin’s shoulder.

“What about chickadee?” Ronin asked.

The boy chirped like a chickadee.

Ronin and Orla both laughed, and Nod, who was drifting towards sleep, started.

“Well, he knows what the word means anyway,” Ronin shook his head in amusement.

“Ronin,” the child gave him a reproachful look, then laid his head back down on his shoulder.

“I know, it’s bedtime. I’m sorry,” Ronin grinned at him, then turned to Orla, “thank you for staying late, and for everything.”

“It’s my pleasure, general,” Orla smiled.

Orla left and Ronin finished taking off his armor and putting away his weapons with Nod leaning sleepily against his leg, singing Ronin’s name softly to himself.

“We’re going to have to teach you some more words kiddo,” Ronin picked him up after locking the cabinet, kissing his cheek and carrying him to bed.

“Ronin,” Nod answered, thumb finding its way into his mouth and putting a stop to his stream of repetition.

“How about honey brittle?” Ronin offered as he laid the boy down on his bed.

Nod opened his eyes, blinking up at him sleepily. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth, “Ronin.”

“What about titmouse?” Ronin tried, bringing up the blankets to cover him.

“Ronin,” Nod tugged on Ronin’s wrist.

“Yes, I’ll come to bed in just a minute,” Ronin reassured him, “I just need a quick shower. How about humming bird?”

Nod seemed to consider this, then he yawned widely and said Ronin’s name again before putting his thumb back in his mouth.

“We’ll work on it,” Ronin laughed softly and stroked back the child’s hair so he could press a kiss to his forehead, “sweet dreams chickadee.”

“Chickadee,” Nod mumbled around his thumb as he dropped off to sleep.

Ronin grinned. If he was lucky, he would have a little talker on his hands soon, and he couldn’t wait to tell Tara at the morning briefing tomorrow.


End file.
